Album.



Patented Oct. 3, I899. F. H. GILSUN.

ALBUM.

(Application filed Jan. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

THE nonms wsrzns co PHQTO-UTNO, wAsHmmcm NITED 'TAIES ATEN'I FFIQ.

ALBUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,294, d t d O t b 3 1899.

Application filed January26,1899. Serial rm osais. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN H. GILsoN, of Vellesley, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Albums, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide means for connecting the leaves of an album or other book in such manner that when the book is opened all the leaves will.

lie horizontally, the inner end or edge of each. leaf at the points where they are bound together being free to rise to such height above the back portion of the cover of the book as to permit the upper leaf of either pack into which the book is divided when opened to lie perfectly flat or horizontal from its outer to its inner end.

The invention also has for its object to provide the leaves of a separable book or album with durable, simple, and efficient means for detachable engagement with flexible cords or ligatures secured to the cover of the book, to the end that the leaves may be securely held together in book form, while any leaf can be conveniently removed from the book without detriment either to the removed leaf or to the remaining leaves and cover.

The invention consists in the improvements, which I will now proceed to describe and claim. p

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a separable photographalbum embodying my invention. resents a rear edge view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of a portion of the flexible back. Fig. 4 represents a view of one of the leaves of the album. ,Fig, 5 rep resents a perspectiveview of partsof'the book. Fig. 6 represents a section on 1ine6'6j of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 representsan end view show ing the book closed. Fig. 8 represents an end View showing the book opened. Fig. 9 represents a side View of a portion of one of the side pieces. Fig. 10 represents a section on line 10 10, Fig. 9.

The same letters of reference indicate the and b I) represent the leaves thereof.

The

Fig. 2 repsaid side pieces are here shown as formed with pockets to a in their inner ends, formed to receive the ends of a flexible back a which extends across the space between the two side pieces, said flexible back being provided with slots which receive the stretches of the attaching-cord c, which connect the leaves I) with the cover. My present invention, hereinafter described, is not limited, however, to a cover of this construction, and while my invention includes the use of two lengths or stretches of flexible cord engaged with the leaves I) in such manner as to hold them together in book form I desire to have it understood that said lengths or stretches of cord, which for convenience I willhereinafter ter'm cords c c,maybe supported by a cover or by holding parts of any suitable construction and that the side pieces a a for the purposes of the present invention are considered merely as suitable means for holding the said cords across the inner ends of the series of leaves 12.

In carrying out myinvention I provide each leaf 1) with a plurality of cord-engaging members, which are preferably fingers d, made of wire or other suitable material, each being free to spring or be displaced laterally at its outer end. These fingers form the outer sides of recesses 10, which receive the cords 0, each recess being open at one end and closed at the other, so that it can readily receive one of the'cords c. I prefer to arrange the fingers at so that they stand adjacent to portions of the inner edges of the leaves, each recess 19, therefore, having one of its sides composed of a portion of theinner edge of the leaf, while its other and outer side is composed of one of the fingers d. The-fingers d and the adjacent portions of the edges of the leaves over which they project-may be considered as cord-engaging jaws, which are separable to receive and release the cords by a lateral movement of the cords, no endwise or threading-movement of the cords being required. In the construction shown the fingers d are the end portions of a continuous strip of wire extending along the inner edge of the leaf 1), the portion of the wire between said fingers being inclosed in a socket f, formed on the inner edge of the leaf, preferably by pasting a piece of cloth upon the leafin the manner shown in Figs.

4:, 5, and 6. The fingers (Z are sulliciently re silient to enable their outer ends to yield inwardly to the strain exerted on them by the cords when the book is opened, as shown in Fig. 8, where some of the fingers are shown as sprung inwardly toward the back a This resilience of the fingers (Z enables the cords to be drawn quite taut, so that they connect the inner ends of the leaves somewhat closely when the book is closed, thus giving the book a compact and tidy appearance, the springing of the fingers when the book is opened permitting the leaves to lie flat and horizontal, as indicated in Fig. 8, whatever the thickness of the book may be.

It will be seen from the foregoing that when the cords c are loosened'they can be readily slipped out from between the fingers d and the rear edge of the leaves, thus permitting any leaf to be withdrawn from the rest and another substituted for it, if desired.

I believe it is new with me to apply two wire fingers to the inneredge or end of an album-leaf in such manner as to cause said fingers to form the outer walls of recesses adapted to detachably receive leaf-connecting cords c c. I therefore do not limit myself to the form and arrangement of the fingers d above described, although I prefer said form to any other of which I am at present aware.

I prefer to arrange the fingers (I so that they are substantially in contact with the adjacent portions of the edges of .the leaves, recesses Z) being formed in the leaves at the inner portions of the fingers to accommodate the cords o c. This construction enables the cords to be engaged with the leaves with sufficient firmness to prevent loose edgewise movement of the leaves on the cords, sufficient force because the cord to spring the finger d away from the adjacent portion of the edge of the leaf, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The inner ends of the lids or side pieces a a are provided with orifices s to receive the cords c, said orifices being formed in the portions of the lids that form the outer sides of the pockets to, these portions projecting beyond the portions that form the inner side of said pockets, as shown in Fig. '10.

t represents 'a reinforcing strip of wire which is incorporated into each lid a between its inner end and the orifices .9, said strip preventing the cords from tearing through the ends of the lids.

The back a is provided with two pairs of slits u u and u u, arranged, as shown in Fig. 3, in the parts of the back that are inserted in the pockets to, the cords c c passing through said slits. The slits are parallel with the upper and lower edges of the back, but do not extend across the central portion of the back, a sufiicient portion of the back being left uncut or continuous between the inner ends of the slits u u and the inner ends of the slits u lb to cover the back of a book of average thickness, so that the slits are not ing required in displacing a leaf edgewise to visible until the thickness of the back has become greater than the average, and in that case only the inner ends of the slits are exposed.

The horizontal position of the leaves when the book is opened is not necessarily dependent on the resilience of the fingers. The fiexible cords c, rising and forming an arch, as shown in Fig. 8, accomplish this result independently of the springing of the fingers; but I find that the resilience of the fingers enables the cords to be more tightly drawn than would be advisable if the fingers were not resilient, the yielding of the fingers compensating to some extent for the tightness of the cords.

I claim- 1. A separable book or album comprising suitable lids or side pieces, flexible cords secured to and extending between the side pieces, and a series of leaves or sections each having at its inner edge a plurality of resilient cord-engaging fingers having free outer ends.

2. A separable book or album comprising suitable lids or side pieces, flexible cords secured to and extending between the side pieces, and a series of leaves or sections each having at its inner edge a plurality of resilient fingers extending beside portions of said edge, and having free outer ends, the said fingers and the adjacent edge portions of the leaves oonstitutingjaws with which said cords are engaged.

3. A book or album leaf, having on its 111- ner edge a plurality of resilient cord-engag ing fingers having their outer ends free from the said edge and pointing outwardly.

t. A book or album leafhaving at its inner edge a plurality of resilient fingers cxtendin g beside portions of said edge and having their outer ends free from said edge and pointing outwardly, the said fingers and the adjacent edge portions of the leaves constituting cordengaging jaws.

5. A book or album leaf having on its inner edge a socket, and a wire strip extending through said socket and projecting outwardly from the ends thereof, the projecting portions of the strip being free from the edge of the leaf constituting resilient cord-engaging fin gers having free outer ends.

0. A book or album leaf having at its inner edge a socket, and a wire strip extending through said socket and terminating in resilient fingers which project outwardly from the ends of the socket in opposite directions over the end portions of the said edge, each of the said end portions and the accompanying finger constituting a pair of cord-engaging jaws.

'7. A book or album cover comprising independent lids or side pieces, each having a pocket in its inner end, orifices through the outer side piece of said pocket, and a wire reinforcing-piece between each orifice and the edge of the piece in which itis formed, a cord passed through said openings and extending across the space between the lids, said cord being adj nstably secured, and flexible back having end portions adapted to enter said pockets and provided .with slots through jeoting in opposite directions to form cord- L engaging fingers Which are inseparable from IO each other and from the leaf.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my sig nature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANKLIN H. eI LsoN.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRIsoN. 

